This Thursday morning (8-11) ILS is launching the Mars Reconnaissance
Orbiter on a Atlas 5 rocket, 401 configuration, designated AV-007 from
Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
Liftoff is scheduled for 7:50 a.m. EDT. with a window extending to 9:35
a.m. EDT.
Spacecraft Separation happens about 58 minutes after liftoff.
Launch was originaly scheduled for Aug 10th, but was postponed 24 hours
to investigate if there are any problems with a pair of Redundant Rate
Gyro Units aboard the Atlas 5 rocket. The concern stems from an RRGU
that failed factory testing while being readied for a future launch, and
the issue was resolved wednesday evening with the Redundant Rate Gyro
Units aboard the rocket deemed healthy for flight.
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter will go into a low altitude orbit around
Mars for two years dedicated to examining the planet in unprecedented
detail and, at least, an additional two years of providing
communications-relay support for other missions. After the launch phase
of a few hours, the MRO will spend about five months in a cruise phase
to Mars, and once there the orbit insertion phase will take about two
months, and aerobraking phase will last four to six months.
Science instruments aboard the MRO: Hyper-spectral imaging spectrometer,
very-high-resolution camera, context camera, color camera, climate
sounder, shallow subsurface radar.
Also aboard the MRO is a Ka Band Telecommunications Demonstration that
will allow comparison of the shorter-wavelength Ka radio band with the X
band that is the standard for interplanetary spacecraft communication
with Earth and the primary band for this mission. The Ka band equipment
uses less power than its X-band counterpart to send the same amount of
data. However, Ka band transmissions are more susceptible to being
disrupted by water in Earth's atmosphere. Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
will use both bands for sending data to Earth, providing a comparison
that will aid planning of communication systems for future
interplanetary missions.
Broadcast coverage:
NASA TV MPEG2 Digital is available on AMC-6 at 72° W, transponder 17C
(4040 V)
SR: 26665 VPID: 273 APID: 276 PCR: 273
NASA TV analog is available on AMC-7 at 137° W, transponder 18 (4060 V)
(note this could go away soon, as stated by NASA "In Alaska and Hawaii,
we'll remain in analog on AMC 7, Transponder 18 through NASA's Return to
Flight mission.")
NASA broadcast coverage starts at 5:30 a.m. EDT.
Don't have a dish? Webcast is available at:
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/
ILS is also providing a webcast at:
http://streamvox.streamos.com/vyvx/ils081005/
Beginning approximately at 7:40 a.m. EDT.
Additional coverage at:
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av007/status.html
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/launches/next_launch.html
http://www.ilslaunch.com/stories/Current_Campaigns/
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/MRO/main/index.html
--
Dishnut-P
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